


Figuring You Out

by irenereru



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Genre: Angst, Doctor Stone/Agent Robotnik AU, Emotional Support, Fluff, Lunch date, M/M, Slight Violence, omg they were roommates, this is my first fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23600380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irenereru/pseuds/irenereru
Summary: Doctor Stone is a scientist specialised in human emotion. To take his research a little further, he decides to get the help of an agent. He soon finds out that his new agent may have something going on deeper than what everyone else thinks.
Relationships: Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik & Agent Stone, Dr. Eggman | Dr. Robotnik/Agent Stone
Comments: 54
Kudos: 127





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting on AO3! :_D This is also my first work in english. It may not be the best, but I'm really trying! I hope you enjoy my little take on this AU.
> 
> Stone is wholesome and Robotnik has trust issues.

Doctor Stone was an odity in the government facility he worked in.

He was charming, cheerful, and always open to have a conversation and cheer the agents up.

Barely anyone knew why he worked there. However, just taking a look at his investigations and findings made everything make sense.

He was specialised in human emotions. How they worked, where they came from, and most importantly for his superiors, how to control and change them.

The doctor just wanted to find out where happiness came from, and if every single human could be able to be happy, no matter who, no matter what. However, some of his findings, like a truth serum, worked really well for torture interrogations, which made him a valuable scientist.

Stone lately had been very busy with paperwork, finding little time to work on his investigations. That's when he decided to ask for an agent to work for him, and at the same time, have that certain company to experiment with them.

“Sure, you can go right now and take a look around the agent's floor”, said one of the commanders in charge of the facility. 

He quickly made his way to the third floor of the building, smiling, thinking about what kind of agent would work best for his investigation.

In the rather large break room, different ranked agents drinked coffee and talked to one another.

However, in the darkest corner of the room, a single agent sitted down next to a low table, reading a book.

He never made eye contact with anyone, never talked to anyone, and only followed orders. His kill count was off the roof, being known for being cold and relentless.

He was a complete mystery to everyone, except for some of the higher ups.

Making his way through the door, doctor Stone began to saludate different agents who where chatting calmly. “Good day, could I talk to you all for a moment?”, asked Stone.

Everyone lighted up and runned up to the doctor.

Everyone except one.

“So, are you finally looking for a personal agent, doctor?”, someone asked. 

The doctor nodded. Everyone started to beg to get picked. 

“Wait, please! I'd like to get to know you all a little bit first!”, he said, trying to keep everyone from ripping his lab bat. 

“Please step back, and let everyone have space, so I can see them. I'm looking for someone special”, Stone explained, and everyone quickly got in a line.

Everyone, except one. The same, lonely guy, still sitting in the back, reading.

Obviously, he caught the attention of the doctor. He pulled one of the agents closer, to be able to talk without being heard by the guy in the back.

“Hey, could you tell me who that is?”, the doctor asked, sligtly pointing at the agent in the background.

The agent looked a little surprised. “Him? I don't remember his name... He usually works on solo missions, and I've never seen him talk to anyone. He's usually there, drinking coffee or reading”, the agent explained.

Stone, curious, decided to approach him.

Standing in front of the man, he sligtly coughed, trying to catch his attention.

All the other agents where looking at them now, making the agent uncomfortable.

“Hi!”, exclaimed Stone, seeing that he did not move an inch. “My name's Stone, I work here. I was looking for an agent to help me out with some stuff, and I was wondering if we could talk a little, maybe get to know each other, kinda like an interview. What do you think?”.

The agent flipped a page.

Still not looking at Stone.

Seeing that this was taking him nowhere, the doctor slightly turned around to see everyone looking confused. Stone couldn't understand the way they looked at them, and thought that he certainly was on to something.

Slightly tapping his book, Stone lowered a bit so he could be in eye sight of the agent. With a little smile, he said “I think it would be a good idea to take this interview somewhere else... Why don't you come to my laboratory?”.

Suddently, the agent closed the book, standing from the chair, now finally looking down at Stone.

He look scary, and pretty unsetteling.

The doctor got up again, realising that the agent was taller than him. The moment he made eye contact with him, the agent looked slightly to the left, just enough to break the contact.

“Alrighty then, shall we go?”, asked Stone, starting to theories about the agent in his mind. Leaving the book behind, the agent started to make his way out of the room, everyone getting away from his path, with the doctor following closely.

The walk back to the lab was certainly strange. Everyone looked at them, it didn't matter who it was. The doctor thought it probably was because they made an odd couple.

Once they arrived, the doctor opened the door.

The place certainly didn't feel like most other laboratories in the facility, having little notes, images, and plants everywhere.

There wasn't a lot of technology eather, just a little set-up at the workbench in the back of the room with a computer and some analysing machines.

“Please take a sit”, he told the agent, while pointing at a large desk in the middle of the room.

“So...”, Stone began, taking a sit in front of the agent. “First things first, what's your name?”. 

The agent hesitated slightly, looking down to his hands. “Ivo Robotnik, sir”, he said. 

“That certainly is a unique name”, the doctor answered, now holding his chin on his hands. “Tell me a bit about you. How did you end up here, working on this facility?”.

The agent hesitated again. _“Confidential”_ , he answered.

That took Stone by surprise.

Excusing himself, he quickly made his way to his computer, and introducing “Robotnik” in the government database. His screen flashed, and then showed a text that read _“Not avalible”_. That certainly was strange, but decided to let it be.

Running back to the agent, he setteled back in his chair again

“I guess you're right... So, what are you specialised in, Ivo?”, he asked. 

“Please don't call me Ivo ever again”, the agent asked coldly. “And my speciallity is killing”, answered just as coldly. 

The doctor's hands started to sweat slightly. “I-I see...”, he said, nervously swallowing.

He started to wonder if he actually got in contact with a psychopath. “I was just wondering if you'd like to work for me for a while, take care of paperwork, maybe help me out with some experiments, but maybe you-...”

“Sure”, Robotnik answered, still looking down. That, again, took Stone by surprise. 

“Wait, really?”, he asked. “I thought that you enjoyed, you know... Something more active”.

“Being good at something doesn't have to mean you like it”, the agent replied.

The doctor straightened in his chair. “Then, that would be a yes for your part, right?”, he exclaimed, with a shiny smile in his face.

The agent simply nodded.

Standing, doctor Stone stretched his hand out.

“It's a pleasure to count you in! Thank you very much!”.

Robotnik slowly stood up, and after a few moments, took the doctor's hand. Stone energetically shaked it, which caught the agent off guard. “This is gonna be fun!”, finished the doctor, as he started walking towards his workbench, in order to get everything ready.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stone begins experimenting with Robotnik.

It quickly became obvious that working with Robotnik would have it's issues.

Yes, he would do as told, but never engaged in conversation, and the most he said where one word sentences, and once he finished his task, he waited patiently, eyeing Stone.

This was driving the doctor insane, since it made his investigations on the agent the more hard to conduct.

Pulling everything aside, Stone got up and sitted in front of Robotnik. The agent quickly went back to look at his hands.

“Hey, why don't you tell me a bit about you, eh? Things you enjoy, what you do in your free time, how's your home...”, he explained, looking at the agent intensely, just in case he would make eye contact, even if it was just for one second.

Moving his head from side to side, the agent took his time to answer. “I enjoy reading... I find maths and robotics quite interesting, and I would like to learn more about them, maybe study it in depth... That's basically it. I don't really do anything else in my free time. There isn't much to do here at the base, so...”, he explained, doing his best to not reveal too much.

“You live here? _Why?_ ”, Stone asked, shocked. _“Confidential”_ , the agent answered again.

This was starting to bug Stone. There certainly was something up with this guy, but due to his low-level, he probably wouldn't be able to figure it out, if it where that confidential.

Taking a deeper look at the agent, he decided to changes the subject.

“So tell me, Robotnik... Would you say that you're happy?”, he asked. 

For a slight moment, he swore he saw the agent frown. 

After nearly a minute of silence, he realised Robotnik wasn't going to answer. He opted to begin with some experimentation.

Moving to one of the shelves at the lab, he took a plastic pot with something purple in it.

Once he was back being in front of the agent, he offered the pot to him. “Here, open it”. Robotnik did as he was told so.

A flowery scent came from the inside. “Go ahead, touch it”, the doctor asked in a cheerful tone.

The agent certainly felt way less confident about it.

Placing two fingers on it, he could feel the slimy texture of it.

He pulled, tapped and squished the slime.

Getting closer to his face, which made the agent back up a bit, the doctor begin his questions. “Are you feeling better now?”, “Do you like the sensation?”, “Is the smell nice?”, he kept going and going.

Eventually, Robotnik closed back the pot and gave it back to the doctor.

“It's not my thing”, he replied in a low tone. 

Stone just stayed there, slime in his hands, looking confused. “I guess it's not enough for you, huh? Everyone that has tried it has gotten into a nicer mood at least, even by just smelling it... Took me months to develop the perfect slime”, he mentioned while he went back to leave the pot on the shelf.

“I'm in a nice mood”, the agent told the doctor. 

“Liar”, Stone replied, frowning. “I know there's something more to you, something unexplored by most if not all people in this facility”. 

Slowly, he approached Robotnik. 

“I want to help you. I want to know what's going on inside you. What makes you be who you are, why you act like this... Isolation, shyness, obedience, coldness... Some could say it may be depression, but... I know there is something more. And you are what I needed for my investigations”.

For the first time, Robotnik looked at him in an expression that wasn't neutral. He looked... Surprised? Affraid? It was hard to tell, but it was a change, at least.

Once Stone smiled at him again, he turned his eyes away again. Stepping away from him, doctor Stone started thinking in more ways to get the agent to open to him, uncover his mysteries.

However, he quickly got interrupted by his alarm, quite an annoying one, that kept saying in a robotic voice _“It's meal time!”._

As Stone stopped the alarm, he took off his lab bat, and grabbing a jacket near the door.

“Let's go, agent. I'm taking you out for lunch. I invite.” The agent obeyed, following the doctor as they left the laboratory.

It was the first time agent Robotnik left the facility in a kinda regular looking car.

Stone's car was brightly colored, with a few plush animals in the front and back.

Just a few minutes later they arrived at a small and cozy looking restaurant.

Upon entering, Stone setteled in a table at the back, with no one nearby. The agent sitted in front of him.

“Is this nice for you?”, the doctor asked. “It's obvious that you don't really like being the focus of attention, so this spot will be great for us both!”

“I've never been in a restaurant before, so... _I guess”_ , Robotnik answered.

Stone looked at him with an incredulous face. _“You have NEVER been to a restaurant before?!”_

“Is it that uncommon?”, the agent wondered.

Deciding not to make the situation worst, Stone just gave the menu to Robotnik.

After a few minutes, a waitress got their order, and they both waited silently to the order to arrive.

Except, while they waited, Robotnik asked something to Stone.

“Why did you ask me to be your agent?”, he wondered. The doctor was certainly caught off guard.

“Well... You could say that I saw something on you that caught my attention”, Stone replied, smiling at the agent. 

He simply looked back down, as if he were slightly dissappointed. The doctor decided to elaborate. 

“Most people I know are pretty nice, or higher ups from the government, which you probably know aren't the most interesting people in the world... You seemed to have a hard time on your own. My main goal is to figure out where to get “happiness”, to make the world better. Experimenting with you seemed like a good idea... I hope you don't mind.”

Robotnik simply kept looking down.

As he was about to say something, the waitress came back with their food. The conversation ended there, and they both ate in silence, except for some random commentaries about the food by Stone.

Once they where done, Stone had more plans for his new friend.

Instead of going back to the lab, they drove to a park.

“Let's go for a walk, shall we?”, the doctor told his agent as he stepped off the car.

Slowly but surely, they walked along the grass, doctor Stone taking in the fresh air and sunlight, while agent Robotnik focused on where he stepped.

Looking around, the only people there where kids playing and couples walking, holding hands. Stone slightly swallowed. “I didn't even realise this kinda seems like a date, taking you to a restaurant and to a walk on the park, huh?”, he said, nervously.

The agent just kept looking at the ground, unamused. “At least he doesn't seem to dislike this”, the doctor though.

After a little bit of silence, Stone tried to start a conversation.

“So, nice weather, right?”. He suddently was shot by a cold side eye by Robotnik.

Alright, wrong topic.

He was hitting a dead end, and that wasn't good at all.

Eventually he stoped tracks, making the agent stop too.

“I'm going to be sincere with you, Ivo”, Stone said.

“I told you not to call me like that”, Robotnik protested.

“Calling you by your first name can probably create an effect of closeness between you and I, that's why I-...”, began explaining the doctor, only to get cut off again.

“Why do you want us to be close?”, the agent wondered, looking at him confused.

“Don't you remember? It's part of the investigation!”, he said, pointing deep into Robotnik's soul. 

“I have to say, though, this is starting to feel like a difficult task... You barely respond to anything! Taking you out, sharing more personal experiences, even something more on the science side like a slime with slight hormone manipulation...” 

That last thing made the agent rise an eyebrow. 

“You react to _NOTHING_. It's always the same silence and calculated actions. All you do feels... Somewhat fake”, Stone confessed. 

That certainly caugh Robotnik off guard. Fake? He didn't act fake, he did what he felt he had to do... _Right?_

Suddently, Stone grabbed Robotnik by his wrist, but the agent quickly pulled back.

That movement made Stone's face light up.

“We're going back to the lab, it's time to try out some physical stimulation!”.

The agent looked back at him, feeling terrified, but keeping a straight face.

_That did not sound good at all._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robotnik explodes on Stone.

By the time they went back, the sun was already setting.

Stone made them sit one in front of the other, knees nearly touching. The doctor placed a hand on his knee.

“Take my hand”, he ordered.

After a bit of hesitation, Robotnik followed the order. It only lasted for about 3 seconds until the agent pulled back quickly.

Seeing him retaliate, Stone approached Robotnik slightly, nearly holding him. “Hey, hey, it's ok, there's nothing wrong... If something goes through your mind, let me know, we can work on it”, he explained in a soft voice.

Suddently, Robotnik stood up, and strolled down the room.

“ _I don't get it_ ”, he kept repeating in a low voice.

Stone certainly noticed, and approached him, until he held a hand on his back, which cause the agent to quickly jump back, but Stone kept his hand on him.

“Tell me what you feel, Ivo... What's bothering you?”, he said. 

Robotnik pushed the doctor back with his elbow, which made the doctor start coughing in pain. 

“I told you _to NOT CALL ME THAT!_ ”, he screamed, looking back at him in a pained and mad look. 

Stone could only stare.

_“ I don't get what you're doing... Is this another form of torture from the higher ups? What have they told you? Don't they have enough from me already?!” _ The agent kept on screaming at the doctor, slightly sweating, looking deep into his eyes. 

Stone quickly interrupted him.

“Woah, woah, hold on right there for a second, buddy! That's _a lot_ of stuff!” Robotnik setteled a little bit, but still looking at Stone agrily. 

“First of all, I know _NOTHING_ about you. The higher ups just allowed me to get an agent. I'm a low-level scientist, I can't even look up what they say about me!”, the doctor explained. 

“Second of all, _what do you mean the higher ups tortured you?!_ ”

Slowly, the agent approached him with a blank stare, as if he was out of his mind.

 _“I'll say it once and I will not repeat myself: Don't you DARE keep on lying to me. I won't hesitate on pulling the trigger on you, doctor”_.

Stone became completely pale.

Realising that he actually said that out loud, Robotnik stepped back, and went back on being his reserved self.

“E-Excuse me, forget everything I said. I-I need a break, this wasn't supposed to happen...”. Leaving no time for Stone to reply, he left the laboratory.

He stood there for a little bit, before chasing the agent down.

Stone started to worry as he was nowhere to be seen. In that state, he was emotionally and mentally unstable, and he couldn't just leave Robotnik alone.

Seeing another agent approach, the asked him where Robotnik went.

“Robotnik? Who's that?”, said the agent, confused. 

“He's a solo agent, has a mustache, doesn't talk a lot...” Suddently the agent's face light up slightly. 

“Oh, you mean that weirdo? I saw him go upstairs”, he replied. 

Stone swallowed. _“Weirdo? Why does he talk about him like that? Do other agents think the same?”_ , the doctor thought. 

Without saying anything, he left the agent be and run upstairs.

Just as he got up, Stone saw a door close down the hall. Once he got in front of the door, he called a few times, with no respone.

Eventually he tried opening the door, which was unlocked from the very beginning.

The small white room only had a bed with white sheets, a white wardrove and a small white desk. It felt more like a cage than a room to live in.

To the side there was a door, which is where Stone went next.

Opening the door revealed a bathroom, and low and behold, Robotnik was sitting on the toilet, holding a cat. Upon seeing Stone entering the small room, the agent became so shocked that made him let go of the cat, which gracefully fell on the floor.

“ _Hi-uh-sorry for getting here so suddently_ , I was worried about you”, the doctor explained. 

Robotnik started to look at the cat, which was now walking towards Stone. 

“ _Please don't tell anyone... They'll kick it out”_ , Robotnik said in a voice so low it could barely be listened.

Stone stared at him for a little bit until he realised he was talking about the cat. “Oh, sure, no worries! I had no idea you kept a cat here...”, he said, closing the bathroom door behind him so the cat wasn't able to leave.

The doctor sitted on the small bathtub in the already small bathroom, trying to approach Robotnik. The agent just kept on looking at his hands, as he slightly figetted with his fingers.

Clearing his throat, Stone began talking. “I wanted to tell you that... _I'm sorry._ ”

Robotnik slightly looked towards Stone, making it a bit more clear that he was listening. “Maybe I took things too far a little too quickly. It clearly was making you uncomfortable and I didn't stopped when I should've. It was wrong from my part, and I promise I'll take things a bit slower from now on...”

_“_ _It's the first time someone tells me they're sorry”_ , Robotnik replied, again, in a really low voice. 

“It's better late than ever”, Stone said with a little laugh. 

Straighting his back, Stone continued. “So, this is where you live? It doesn't feel too cozy, does it?". Robotnik nodded slightly, keeping his head low.

"So, I had an idea that may help us both... I thought you could come live with me!”, he said with a huge smile on his face. 

If he had been drinking something, Robotnik would've chocked.

Seeing the agent become tense again, Stone tried his best to calm him down. “I know it may sound really weird, and something that you may not enjoy, but think about it: You would get a nicer place to sleep, which would improve your physical health, AND you wouldn't have to worry about your cat!”

Still looking at him slightly, Robotnik replied with a small _“You don't mind the cat?”_. Stone assured him energetically.

After thinking about it, the agent decided to accept the offer, if only for the cat.

The doctor was about to touch Robotnik again due to being excited about it, but stopped himself at the last moment. “Alright, then let _Operation: Move-Out_ begin!”.

Slowly making their way down the halls, they both tried to look the least suspicious they could.

Stone carried a big gym bag that just had two pairs of clothing _(The only ones Robotnik had)_ and the cat, which had a little opening to stick the head out.

Everything seemed to be going well, no one in sight as they approached the exit.

But upon exiting the building they ended up faced upon one of the commanders.

“Doctor Stone, how nice to see you”, the commander said in a monotone voice. “Did you choose an agent yet? I have been informed that you were looking for one”. 

Stone began cursing the heavens, they where so close! “I actually have! I asked agent Robotnik to help me out with my investigations, it's going great”, he said quickly, trying to finish the conversation before the cat came out of it's hole in the bag.

_“_ _Robotnik?”_ , the commander said in a degrading tone, followed by an angry stare at the agent. _“Are you sure about that, doctor? We can provide you with any agent you desire... Except special agents, of course”_.

Stone laughed uncomfortably. “I-I know, it's just... I do think this is the best agent I could get for my investigations! Besides, I already prepared all the contracts and everything, so...”.

The commander gave a menacing look at Stone. _“Very well, doctor. I just hope you allow us to follow you and your new agent. Just in case”._

The doctor swallowed heavily, thinking over and over again _“what the fuck is going on”._

The commander finally began to get into the bulding, just to stop before them two could get away. _“Agent Robotnik doesn't need to leave the facility, and even less at these hours, doctor”._

Stone started to scratch the back of his neck, feeling anxiety grow in his gut.

“I-I thought it would be a great idea to keep an eye on Iv- _I MEAN_ -Robotnik during the night, and follow his brain activity. It's a way too have a look at the dreams someone may have, which can lead to figuring out stuff about them that maybe the subject won't even know”, he lied.

Slightly stepping away, the commander left with a hum. _“We would appreaciate if you shared the results of this experiment with us, doctor Stone”_ , he said as he left.

“ _Sure thing!_ ”, Stone replied, before quickly pacing to his car.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they were roommates.

Stone's home was 20 minutes away from the facility.

He lived in a small house in a town called Green Hills. It was discret enough to live a calm and secret life.

As the doctor felt the anxiety go down, his thoughts got interrumped by Robotnik's voice.

“We're being followed”, he said, in his usual cold tone. 

Stone could feel his hands sweating on the stiring wheel, and his vision blurring slightly. 

They soon would get to the entrance of the little town, which made things worst, since they had no way of escaping the black car just a few metters behind.

“I can take care of it if you want, doctor”, said the agent, taking out a gun from his jacket. 

Stone became even more pale and anxious. “Are you insane?! That would only get us in more trouble!”, screamed the doctor, trying to focus on the straight road. 

“Got a better idea?”, questioned Robotnik. Suddently, Stone could see a police car next to the welcome sign of the town. 

“Yes I do”, the doctor said.

As they pulled their car to the side, an agent came out of the police car. Stone quickly lowered the window, to be able to talk to the agent.

“Hey doctor Stone, any problems?”, the agent said in a kind of sassy tone.

 _“Tom, I need your help”_. This was the first time the police agent saw Stone without a smile on his face.

“Wow, buddy, everything ok?”, he asked worrily.

_“_ _A car is following us. They're from the military. Probably trying to track us down. Anything you can make to distract them so they can't follow us home?”_ , asked the doctor in a trembly voice. 

“Sure thing, I know you can't even kill a fly, Stone, just leave it to me. In this town, we take the law by our hands”, the police guy replied. 

“Bless your soul, Tom. I'm bringing you freshly baked donuts tomorrow”, Stone said as he pulled out to keep on driving. 

Soon enough, flashing lights and alarms started behind them, and the last thing they could see was the black car being pulled to the side.

Only five minutes later, they took a side road that led to Stone's house, near the woods.

As he pulled into the garage and stopped the engine, the doctor was able to breathe.

“You know they can still track our location, right?”, the agent said as he grabbed softly his bag.

“Nu-uh!”, Stone replied. “I got a special system that unables anyone to detect any sign around my house!”, said as he nervously unlocked the safety belt.

“Don't tell anyone, but _I stole it from the facility..._ Thought it may come handy down the line”, he whispered, stepping out of the car.

The doctor certainly wasn't a saint, and Robotnik felt that maybe they both where more simmilar than he initially thought.

The first one to step inside Stone's house was the cat, which quickly began exploring it's new home.

Upon setting a foot inside the house, Robotnik felt... _Odd._

It wasn't that big of a place, it just had a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms.

Signaling to follow him, Stone lead Robotnik to his new room. It was located past the living room.

The room itself wasn't anything amazing, but it was better than what he used to have at the government facility: It gave out a cozy atmosphere due to the warm colors that decorated it. There where some books in a shelf, a nearly unsused wardrove and a bed with soft blankets, which had a cute plush near the pillows.

“I-I can take the plush away if you want-...”, started to nervously mention Stone.

“It's fine”, Robotnik replied, looking at the bed. He softly sitted on it, and left his bag by his side.

His mind began filling with confusing thoughts, just to be cut by Stone's voice.

“I'll go make us dinner, why don't you stay here for now and make yourself comfortable? I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything. Just focus on feeling like home, alright?”. And with that, he left.

Robotnik stayed there for a while, wondering. _“Home? What does a home feel like?”_

Just as Stone took out some food from the fridge, he began hearing soft meows behind him.

The cat was hungry. “Oh, right, I should make something for you too, right? I think I should have some canned tuna around here...”.

By 8pm, Robotnik began hearing some steps going towards him.

Stone slightly knocked on the door, slightly opening it. “Hey Ivo, dinner's ready”.

He found the agent laying on the bed, looking at the ceiling, with the small plush by his side. Without saying anything, he got up and followed Stone to the living room.

On the small table in front of the couch layed two plates of tuna salad.

Stone quickly ran up to the table, noticing the cat trying to take one of the plates. “You already have your own bowl, and you haven't even finished it! Go finish eating, and then we can talk about it getting something more, little boy!”.

As if the cat understood him, it left and went back to the small corner Stone prepared for it, with two bowls and some pillows in a box.

As they both sitted down on the couch, Stone turned towards the agent, while he grabbed one of the plates.

“What's the cat's name?”, he asked. “It has no name, doesn't need it”, Robotnik answered, stabbing his salad.

“That's a little sad, why wouldn't you name it?”, Stone wondered, now looking at the cat, who still was in it's little corner.

“Names only bring bad things to your life. I, for example, would rather have no name”, he said, now munching some lettuce.

That was certainly something odd to think, Stone decided to keep it in mind to write on his notes.

Deciding not to ask him about it, the doctor grabbed the TVs remote controller and left a movie playing in the background as they ate.

Once the movie finished, Stone left to finally rest up a bit after such an intense day.

Robotnik stayed in the room, now having the cat on top of him. Deciding not to disturb Stone with the noise coming from the TV, he eventually turned it off and left to try and get some sleep himself.

_It was around 3am when Stone got suddently awakened by screams._

He quickly got out of bed, and with a small flashlight he traverssed the house in search of the source of the noise.

By the time he figured where it came from, the sound turned into grumble and heavy breathing. _It was coming from Ivo's room._

Slightly opening the room, he lowered the intensity of the flashlight.

The agent had a pained expression on his face, hands holding on to the blankets as is his life was on the line, and he was clearly sweating a lot.

The doctor approached slowly, and once he was by his side, he slowly touched him to wake him up.

As if it came from instinct, Robotnik punched Stone in the face, making the man fall on the floor in pain.

Once he finally was able to calm down, he realised he just punched Stone in the face.

 _“Oh god, doctor, I-I am so sorry!”_ , he said, quickly jumping out of bed.

Stone was now sitting on the ground, holding his cheek on his hand. _“Augh... That really hurted..._ I think I've never been punched that hard before...”, he said with tears on his eyes.

As he turned, he could see Robotnik's worried expression, searching for any blood. Miraculously he wasn't bleeding and didn't lose any teeth.

“Hey, I'm ok, don't worry”, he said in a slight smile. “You sure where having a nightmare, huh? Are you ok?”, he asked.

Their faces where barely lighted up by the flashlight on the floor, but Stone clearly saw Robotnik still in a pained expression.

 _“Yeah, I'm ok”_ , he lied. “This happens all the time, don't worry. _I'm sorry for waking you up, I didn't knew I made that much noise, since the facility is nearly empty by the time I fall asleep”._

“We'll wonder about all that tomorrow. I'll go get some ice for my poor face, and you go back and try to sleep some more, alright?”, Stone explained as he incorporated.

Before getting up, he wrapped his arms around Robotnik in a hug. The agent tensed, but did not flinch to the touch.

As Stone said good night and left, he slowly got up and went back to bed.

He noticed the plush still there on his side, and pulled it closer to him.

It reminded him of doctor Stone, which made him relax, and finally fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stone and Robotnik go out to eat breakfast.

_Waking up to an annoying alarm was always the part of the day doctor Stone hated the most._

Half asleep, he slowly made his way to the bathroom, hoping to become a bit more awake by the time he was done in there.

Thirty minutes later he at least was clean enough to be presentable to the world... _Even if he was still in his pajamas._

As he stepped into the living room, he noticed that his personal agent and now roommate was already changed into his formal attire, looking outside the window. From Stone's house there was a great view of the whole town of Green Hills, which was beginning to wake up.

“Hey Ivo, good morning”, Stone saludated, sleepily. Robotnik just turned slightly to look back at him, and inmediately went back on watching the view.

“How long have you been awake?”, the doctor asked. “One hour, aproximately”, the agent answered.

“Have you eaten breakfast? I hope not, cause we're going out today!”, Stone cheerfully explained. “I thought, since it seems like you used to barely left, that you should get a taste on what a _“normal life”_ is, and there's nowhere better than Green Hills to go and experience what a peaceful life is”.

While on the outside Robotnik seemed to be calm and collected, on the inside he was dealing with deep turmoil.

_“Normal life?_   
_Going around on the public eye on a town full of people?_   
_Would he damage Stone's reputation to the rest of civilians in that town?_   
_What if the military came for them? What if they're mad because he left the facility?” ..._

The ten minutes he got while Stone changed clothes weren't enough for him, and without realising, he was back in Stone's car, being driven down to the town of Green Hills.

They parked in front of a bar and cafe down the main street.

Stone lead the way inside, the place full of it's usual conversations and laughs. The cop that helped them both last night was there, with an old man screaming at his ear by his side.

Stone and Robotnik took seat near them, and got to hear the end of the conversation they where having.

“I know he's real, Tom! You really should do something about the blue devil! We don't know what it could be capable of!”, the man screamed.

“Carl, calm down... Maybe that _“blue devil”_ isn't that bad of a guy... He would've attacked us already if that's what he wanted, right?”, Tom replied, with a smug smile on his face. At the end, the old man ended up leaving Tom's side and instead approached some other regular costumers of the place.

“This Crazy Carl...”, Tom said toward Stone.

“Yeah... I wonder if someday we'll be able to meet that blue devil of his...”, the doctor mentioned, beginning a conversation with the guy. “I hope we didn't caused that much trouble yesterday, Tom... As I promised, I'm getting you some donuts, alright?”

“Oh, there's no need, doc”, Tom smiled. “The guy in that car really insisted on being in a hurry, but I saved enough time for you to go on hiding... Did anything happen back at work again?”.

Stone tensed up. _“It's not about me, it more...”_ He stepped back, letting Tom take a better look at his agent.

“Oh, and who's that?”, the cop wondered, curiously looking at Robotnik. That made him feel _very_ uncomfortable.

“It's my personal agent! Some stuff going on with him, but he's nice, I assure you”, Stone cheerfully told Tom, as he pulled the agent into him, grabbin him by the shoulders. Robotnik tensed to the touch, but decided to remain silent.

Tom looked at them both suspiciously, but quickly relaxed.

“If you say he's nice, I'll have to believe you. You've got a good eye for people”, he said.

He seemed to be about to keep talking, but he got interrumped by the box of donuts that got placed in front of him. “Well, I gotta go back to work, Wade probably needs some company back at the station. Talk to you later, Stone! And nice to meet you, Mr. Agent-guy”, the policeman quickly said, leaving them behind, and not waiting any second to bring one of those sweets into his mouth.

After a long pause, Stone and Robotnik eventually ordered breakfast. Stone got a small sandwich and chocolate milk while Robotnik got some coffee.

As they ate, Stone saw Robotnik's expresion become more and more blank as the minutes went by, eventually deciding to talk a bit with him.

“So... Is there anything you'd like to do today?”. The agent looked up at him slightly. _“I don't know”_ , he answered.

“Have you ever been here in Green Hills?”, continued Stone. “Only for a few missions, nothing more”, he answered as he took a sip.

Seeing that he wasn't receving enough answers for his part, Stone decided to take a look at his notes, all written in a small and colorful notebook he carried in his bag. After taking a quick look, he decided on what they should do.

“You mentioned that you had interest in robotics, is that right?”, the doctor mentioned as he took a bite off his sandwich.

The agent looked at him surprised. “Yeah... _Why?”_.

“I thought that maybe you'd like to go to a library, look around, maybe get some books of your interest. You enjoyed reading too, so I think that would be a nice experience for you”.

Robotnik just stared blankly at Stone, as if his system somehow had crashed and was attempting to reboot.

_Someone... Writing down what he cares about?_

_And actually bringing it up?_

_And supporting him? What was this madness?_

_He gave up on his dreams ever since he was a child. Even if he begged the people in charge of him, he would eventually just get beaten up. It was the very first time someone took his dreams into account._

But he quickly went back to his usual thoughts.

_Stone just kept him there and did all of this for his own gain, for his experiments._

_After all, he was only a tool to be used._

_All the smiles, touches, and concerns where part of his plan._

_He wasn't his friend, he was his current boss. It was all purely professional._

And like that, he went back to his blank and cold expression.

Stone certainly noticed this, but decided to go on with his plan.

He knew it would be hard to gain the agent's trust, and there certainly where a lot of iron walls to break down inside that man.

Still, the scientist was determined.

He was going to make him feel better, no matter the cost.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go to a book store and get ice cream.

They made their way down the main street of Green Hills, people saying hi to doctor Stone constantly. It was obvious this was a small community where everyone knew each other.

It reminded Robotnik of his time on the government facility, except that everyone here where very cheery. It made him feel out of place.

After a bit of walking through small streets, they finnaly arrived at Green Hill's book store.

Once they where inside, the doctor led the agent lead the way.

At first, Robotnik felt overwhelmed.

He had never seen that many books together in the same place. He had no idea where to start, until he was able to see that everything was categorized in themes.

They made their way into the store, Robotnik taking in every title, every author, every genre, and flipping through the books that catched his attention the most.

Stone, on the other hand, focused on seeing the different but small changes in his agent as they walked through the store.

Only a few minutes in he noticed the agent relaxed a little bit, and his expression seemed a bit more warm.

He was certainly enjoying the trip, which made the doctor congratulate himself. _He finally got on to something!_

A few minutes turned into many as they got to the section Robotnik was most excited about: Robotics.

He gathered book upon book and settled in a small beanbag nearby, taking every bit of knowledge he could without spending too much time on each book. Dessign, motherboards, connectors, ways to create nearly anything, his head was filling with ideas.

It was then when Stone saw his eyes shine in excitement. He looked just like a little kid.

However, the moment Robotnik noticed the doctor looking at him, with that dumb smile on his face, he quickly went back to his regular facade.

_He shouldn't let himself open, not even to the lovely and cheerful doctor Stone._

Even though he was having a great time thanks to him.

Soon enough, the agent decided on what books to keep, which where some of the largest blocks of text the doctor had ever seen.

_But hey, if that made Ivo happy, then it was alright. He wasn't going to be the one reading them, after all._

The agent started to place back the books he wasn't taking with him, when suddently, one of them catched his eye.

It was a thesis of some sort.

However, that was not what made him focus on it.

Rather, it was the author.

Stone noticed a shift in Robotnik.

Robotnik stared at the bookself in disbelieve, his bottom lip was trembling, and it was clear he was internally debating what to do. Finally, he grabbed that book.

He placed everything else down, and stared at the cover.

He looked... _Scared._

Stone slowly approached, taking a look at the book.

He quickly realised what Ivo was looking at that intensely.

_“Theory on Alternate and Different Dimesions, by Dr. Gerald Robotnik”_

“Is that author... Related to you?”, the doctor asked in a low tone, trying not to trigger Ivo more than he was.

“I am not sure... But it could be...”, the agent explained in a trembling voice. “I've heard commanders mention him before, but it always felt as if they where trying to keep it secret from me”.

That certainly catched the doctor's attention.

_Maybe this Gerald Robotnik had something to do with his current agent's life on the facility, and all information about it being confidental._

_Maybe, just maybe... Did something happen with this guy?_

_Are they holding Ivo accountable for whatever he did?_

Stone was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't even notice Robotnik placing back that book in the shelf and going back to the counter.

Back outside, Stone didn't really know what to do next. Ivo certainly looked uneasy. So he decided on trying to make things better.

“Want some ice cream?”, the doctor asked with a smile, leading the way.

Once they had their icy treats, they ended up sitting on a bench near the baseball field.

Stone talked about how this was a very nice day, and how he really was enjoying the agent's company.

Robotnik, on the other hand, was just looking at the distance, thousands of thoughts going through his head.

_Suddently, something passed through his eyes. It was so quick nearly no one couldve noticed. However, since he was a trained agent, he was able to notice things like that._

The doctor noticed the shift on the agent's face, and asked him about it.

“I think I saw something, in the distance...”, he said, looking at the same place, expecting to see it again.

“What was it?”, Stone asked, curious.

“I don't know... But it was like a _blue blur_ ”, the agent answered.

Stone was slightly pulled off, until he realised something.

“Maybe it was the blue devil!”, he said jokingly.

“The blue devil? You mean that story the weird man at the cafe was talking about this morning?”, Robotnik questioned.

“Yeah, that one! Could you imagine that Crazy Carl was actually right? Now THAT would certainly be something!”, the doctor joked, laughing.

However, Robotnik wasn't as sure it really was all false.

Maybe a blue devil was really out there...

At least the thought certainly helped the agent pull away all the more destructive thoughts in his mind, even if it was just for a bit.

As they both made their way back to Stone's car to go back home, the doctor's phone (An old flip-phone) started to ring. It was the commander supervising the doctor.

“Hey, commander!”, Stone cheerfuly answered.

_“Where's Robotnik, Stone?”_ , the man demanded in a deep voice.

“Oh, he's right here with me”, the doctor answered, turning his head to look at the agent. He gave Stone an odd look, but the doctor gave him a thumbs up.

_“And where exactly are you, doctor? Shouldn't you be doing whatever you do in your laboratory?”_ , the commander kept asking, in a quite angry-sounding voice.

“We're doing some field research, sir. It's just as important, if not more, in my investigations”, the doctor kept explaining.

_“We advised you about agent Robotnik, doctor. You have to be responsible. We need to keep an eye on that man. We don't want our country in danger again”_ , the man explained. That certainly sounded omnious.

“In danger again? What are you talking abo-...?”. Then it got to him. _“Sir... Are you talking about Gerald Robotnik?”_ , Stone asked.

The agent suddently turned pale, looking at Stone in horror.

_What was happening?_

There was a long pause on the phone.

_“So he knows”_ , the commander answered. _“Doctor Stone, we need you and your agent to get back to the facility inmediately. We need to talk to you about whatever the agent told you. He will be reassigned and you will stay away from the matter. Are the others clear?”_ , he explained.

Stone started to sweat, as he always did when he got nervous. “H-Hold on right there! I just got started on my investigation, you can't take the agent away now!”, he exclaimed.

That certainly shocked Robotnik, who just heard what Stone said.

_Things where getting nasty._

_“Doctor, you don't understand-...!”_ , the commander tried to keep going, but Stone shut him up.

“What I don't understand is that you kept a man in your facility since he was a kid, who has barely experienced what real life is, and you intend me to believe that he's the one who's wrong in all of this, sir!”, the doctor ranted.

That last sentence really got to the agent.

_Was that really why the doctor was like that to him?_

_Was he actually..._

_Actually trying to help him?_

_To make him happy?_

Stone kept on ranting to his superior. “Look, I don't know what's going on, and agent Robotnik hasn't told me anything. I believe he himself also has no idea what's going on. What I know is that the treatment this agent has gotten in the facility wasn't right, and I'm working hard on figuring out what's wrong with him and letting him experience a happy life, something that you never allowed him to do!” The doctor took a deep breath. He was getting _furious._

“If this is your idea of keeping us safe, by hurting other people in the process, then I refuse to keep working with you all! My goal is to help others, and that's all I've ever done!”, Stone finished, ready to end the call.

_“Is that what you think, doctor? That you haven't harmed anyone?”_ , the man said loudly enough for the doctor to hear, making him place the phone back in his ear.

“What the hell do you mean by that?”, Stone asked, feeling affraid.

_“Being able to manipulate emotions is certainly a great thing to have in hand when interrogating people, doctor Stone”_ , the man said in a slightly creepy tone. _“Being able to lead someone into deep depression, panic attacks and pain is very helpful”._

“W-Wait, I discarted all of that! Those investigations weren't supposed to be used!”, explained the doctor, panicking.

_“Did you really think that we where keeping you around just to make people happy, doctor Stone? Don't be ridiculous. You are such an innocent, idiot man”_ , the commander kept going.

Before he could hear anymore, Robotnik took the phone, and crushed it into the pavement. Seeing Stone's hurt expression was enough to make his blood boil.

“We need to get out of here”, said the agent, running up to Stone's car. The doctor followed.

Back on the facility, the alarms suddently went on.

_“Attention everyone, an emergency has been declared. All agents will now be lead to the town of Green Hills. The objective is to find and neutralise doctor Stone and agent Ivo Robotnik. We need them both alive. You're allowed to do whatever it takes to find them both. We need them back, inmediately. Now go.”_


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get chased.

Both of them where in the car, trying to get back to Stone's house to make up a plan of escape, when suddently they saw a threatening line of black cars approaching.

They pulled out to the side and began to run deep into the forest.

Different kinds of agents and soliders where chasing down on them, and soon they could hear shots nearby.

One of the tranquilizer dards nearly hitted agent Robotnik.

It was obvious that they wanted them alive.

The agent grabbed the doctor's wrist, pulling him near, as he was slower than him.

They still weren't fast enough, and soon the shadows of the other agents casted upon them.

It was then that one of the dards hitted the doctor right into his back.

He stumbled and fell on the ground.

As the agent was about to go back to him, he started falling into a dark void, the last thing he head was the doctor calling his name.

He didn't knew how long had it been since he fell unconcious.

All he could remember was doctor Stone being in danger.

He could not hear anything besides the singing of birds in the distance.

As he opened his eyes, he met with the orange light of the afternoon, coming from an opening in the ceiling.

_It was too late._

The doctor was in the government's hands, for sure.

He brought his hands against his head, pulling tight on his hair.

He allowed the only person that ever cared about him end in danger.

_All because of him._

_That was why he deserved to be alone._

_Anyone who stayed by his side would end up in danger._

Just as he pulled back his hands, his eyes met someone else's eyes, deep green. However, he soon realised he wasn't exactly looking at an animal. Blue furr filled his view, as the creature stepped back.

“Hi?”, it talked.

That thing talked.

The man started screaming in horror as he stumbled back from the bean bag he was on, and crashed on to some boxes with an old boombox on to.

“Hey, careful, that's the only one I have!”, the creature replied, suddently being on his back, holding the boombox.

_What the hell was that thing?!_

_Why did it talked?!_

_How was it so fast?!_

_What was even happening?!_

Agent Robotnik started wondering if he got caught too and this was somehow a halucination due to a strong drug. However, his mind went back to something he heard that morning.

_“... The blue devil...”_ , he whispered.

“Hey, so you've heard about me!”, the blue being cheered. “The name's Sonic, please don't scream again, I'm supposed to stay hidden”.

Seeing that the man was looking at him still in shock, the little creature proceeded.

“So, you fell from the floor into my cave, and being honest, it's a miracle those weird guys didn't found you. They've been looking around for a while, but they left some time ago. I saw your friend, he didn't look too good... They took him with them, no idea where they went tho, I stayed to keep an eye on you _(You're welcome, by the way)_ ”.

The agent looked around the place.

It was filled with lights, toys, odd stuff and old traffic signs.

His eyes then went back to the blue devil, who was looking at him with a concerned look.

_“Y-You ok?”_ , Sonic wondered.

The man slowly approached him, carefully.

“... You said they took the doctor, right?”, he asked.

“Yeah”, the hedgehog replied, looking a little sad. “He seemed like a nice guy, I hope he's ok...”

“He's in danger now, and it's _all my fault_ ”, Robotnik said in a low tone.

“There's no way I can take him out of the facility on my own, there are too many guys and my bullets are limited”.

He crossed his arms, and started thinking, but all that came to his mind was the thought of the doctor being tortured just because he defended him. The thought made him sick, angry, and powerless.

Suddently, he felt something against his legs.

“I saw you drop this by the car, so I picked it up once the scary guys left”, said the blue devil.

It was the bag with the books he bought.

Feeling a knot on his stomach, he pulled out one of the books, and started flipping pages.

He wasn't focusing on anything, until he saw a chapter about drones.

A crazy idea came to mind.

_Maybe, just maybe, if he could get a drone and was able to use it to see where all the agents where, and where they took doctor Stone, maybe he could get a chance of freeing the doctor._

But where was he supposed to get a drone? It wasn't as if he could build one himself.

_… Right?_

He started to flip through all the books, marking all the useful information in them, everything he could use.

In just a matter of minutes, he had planned a way of building a drone out of scrapped materials.

It was as if electronics and machinery came to him naturally.

All he needed now was pieces.

Surely with just a few old phones he could do something.

It wouldn't be pretty, but all he needed was an extra eye that could travel around the insides of the government facility, maybe even create a distraction for him to get in.

Just as he was finishing up the details in his head, his thoughts got interrupted by the kid's voice.

“Can I help you with anything? You sure seem focused on those books there...”, the hedgehog asked.

“Actually... Yes, you can help”, the agent said, bringing a hand to his chin. “Could you bring me some broken phones or something like that? Specially if they have a camera”.

And with that, the creature dissappeared.

A few seconds later he was back, holding all kinds of phones: Flip-phones, smartphones, even a few wheel ones.

“Is this good enough?”, the small being smiled.

“I think it is... Now all I need are some tools-”, just before he could finish the sentence, the guy left again.

He took a bit longer this time, and brought a huge ammount of different kinds of screewdrivers, saws, hammers, and more.

 _“Don't ask where I got these”_ , Sonic said, placing them all down.

Robotnik could only watch in awe.

 _“_ _T-Thanks”_ , was the only thing he could answer.

He decided to lose no time and get to work.

He had to get doctor Stone back, safe and sound.

Sonic just sitted in the bean bag and watched the man work.

“This has to be the most interesting thing I've been involved since I got here”.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to rescue doctor Stone.

_Pain and numbness. That was all doctor Stone could feel._

_He didn't knew how long had it been._

_Maybe some hours?_

_Minutes?_

_Days?_

His body ached. His arms where tied on his back, and on to the chair he was sitting on.

His legs where strapped to the legs of the chair.

His head was spinning. He could no longer think properly.

They asked so many questions...

If he knew about the ARK incident, if G.U.N. tried to contact them. If agent Robotnik talked about having plans...

He knew nothing about what they where talking about.

And by Ivo's confussion back in Green Hills, he certainly didn't know anything eather.

They where treating his agent as if he was a ticking bomb.

Something that could cause destruction wherever it went.

Something that had to be kept secret, away from the real world.

But he wasn't a weapon.

_He was a human being._

Suddently, Stone's thoughts crashed against the pain he felt run though his body.

The drug they injected him wasn't enough for their taste, so they started giving him electric shocks.

They where attempting to break a man that had already said enough.

He screamed with the little force that was left within him.

Tears streamed from his eyes.

He didn't knew how much longer his body could hold on. He was hungry and dehydrated.

He only wanted to be left alone.

Recover slightly. Just enough to at least remain concious.

There where voices in the room.

The actual conversation passing through his mind.

Something about _“taking him to the next step”_.

_That didn't sound good at all._

At least he found out that he'd been there for at least a day and a half.

It was getting dark again.

He started feeling how they where untying him. His body wasn't responding, he couldn't move.

Soon, two agents took hold of him, and began taking him out of the room, and into the darker corridor.

“Look, there he is!”, Sonic said, pointing at the small and broken screen in Ivo's hands.

Him and Robotnik where staring down at the facility, hidden between some trees and bushes.

“This is my chance”, Robotnik thought. “Here, take control of the drone. Keep an eye on them, I'll go inside from the back and take them down. You should really take cover, if you're found, you're gonna be in trouble...”

“Hey, you're in the same position as I am, Eggman!”, the hedgehog replied. “You're also wanted, and you're going straight to them! You're the one in danger here!”.

_“Please stop calling me Eggman”,_ the agent asked.

“Dude, you're the one that made a drone in an egg shape, not me”, Sonic shruged.

“Whatever, just stay hidden, and if anything happens, just leave. Do not worry about me”, Robotnik said, giving Sonic the screen.

He started going down the lane, running up to the whire wall, which he jumped easily. He followed the same path his drone took, keeping an eye for any position changes.

He easily stepped into the facility, and started travelling down the aisles.

Soon enough, he found the two guards and commander taking the doctor with them.

The agents looked like they weren't in their best mood, somehow looking as if they felt bad for the doctor, while the commander just acted as he always did.

Robotnik sneaked behind them.

Soon, he took grab of one of the agents, who he knocked out by a blunt hit on his head.

The other agent backed up, letting the doctor fall on the floor. He quickly tried to get a hold of his gun, but got knocked out before he could do anything else.

However, as agent Robotnik turned around, he saw the commander holding doctor Stone at gunpoint. The doctor looked _really_ bad, as if he was about to die.

“It's good to see you decided to come back on your own, _Robotnik_ ”, said the commander, with malice in his voice.

_“Let the doctor go”_ , the agent said, pointing at the commander.

“Now, now... I don't know what secrets you told this man...”, the commander started, grining like a maniac. “But if he's not going to tell us... “, he said, raising the gun to point at Ivo. _“... You will”_.

And as such, he shot the agent, who was able to slightly dodge the bullet, still getting harmed in the shoulder.

He grunted in pain, while Stone called out his name, as the gun pointed back at him.

“Let the gun go, and I'll let the doctor go. Turn yourself in, Robotnik. We know everything”, he said, menacing.

The agent was frustrated. “Then, if you know everything, say it to me! Tell me what the fuck is up with me! Tell me everything, commander!”, he shouted.

As much as he wanted the doctor to be safe, he also wanted answers. Answers to his endless suffering, to the life he lived right until just a week ago.

The commander chuckled. He kept speaking, being omnious, when suddently, the agent saw the ceiling upfront moving slightly, which then opened. The commander also noticed the sound, and turned.

“Oh, there you are!”, Sonic said, sticking his head out of the vents.

The commander stared in shock, and then screamed at the creature, while releasing the doctor.

Taking the oportunity, the agent knocked out the commander, who fell on the floor with a heavy thud. _"Left yourself open, commander"._

Robotnik quickly took a hold of the doctor, placing him up his shoulders, and carrying him out, Sonic following them with the egg-shaped drone in his hands.

"I tould you to stay back, little man", Robotnik told the blue blur.

"You got hurt, I couldn't just wait there and do nothing to help!", Sonic replied, in a hurt tone.

As they reached the back door, they started to hear other agents taking place near the front door, and ready to attack.

They where being surrounded.

Seeing that the situation was looking pretty bad, Sonic turned to the agent. “I'll distract them, I'm sure no one's expecting me! They're not fast enough to catch me, so I'll be just fine. Take that time to escape, ok?”.

Just as Robotnik was about to protest, Sonic blasted off through the door, which was soon followed by a collective gasp than indicated the agent it was his time to run.

Sure enough, the blue creature was an enough distraction for Ivo to take Stone out of the facility, and into the forest. As the hedgehog saw them go into the woods, he blasted off.

Soon enough, the three of them reached Sonic's cave, thanks to the small light that came from the screen used to control the drone. As they took place by the sides of the cave, Robotnik held Stone close in an embrace, while Sonic stood by the other side of the cave, all of them surrounded by deep shadows.

They could hear steps, but since it was really dark outside, the hole on the floor ended up being undetected, again.

_About two hours after, the search was placed on hold, and the agent, the doctor and the hedgehog ended up in a clasified list from the government._

_They where now on search and capture, and surely their home wasn't safe anymore for them to stay._

As the night went by, the three of them ended up falling asleep, Sonic joining the two humans in search of some warmth and contact. Ivo placed a hand on top of Sonic's head, and sighed.

They could talk about what to do next tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys wake up and talk about what to do next.

The sound of birds singing and the feeling of a heartbeat against his was the first things dorctor Stone felt when he woke up.

It was probably early in the morning, and when he opened his eyes, he quickly realised he was in his agent's arms.

His body certainly felt weak, and was protesting over the fact that it had been way too many hours since he had anything to properly eat or drink.

As he shifted around on Robotnik's lap, he ended up waking the agent up.

They both ended up looking deep into each other's eyes, and the doctor certainly got happy that the agent wasn't looking away.

 _“Good morning”_ was all Stone could say in his tired voice.

Their moment felt certainly special, both feeling as is their relationship had changed during the times they where appart.

However, the mood was ruined when Stone looked slightly to the side, a blue and furry figure against the agent.

He made his best effort not to shout in shock, but it was enough to make him gasp and lose balance.

One thing led to the other, and Stone ended up reaching for Ivo's shoulders for balance, which gave in return a pained scream from the agent, which made the hedgehog wake up.

However, that did take the doctor's mind somewhere else, as he quickly saw the redish staining on the agent's dark clothes.

The doctor panicked, slowly starting to take off the agent's shirt. _“Ivo, you're hurt!”_

“Oh, yeah, that happened...”, was the only thing the agent replied.

Stone stopped his movements. “What has happened? Where are we? Why are you hurt? _And wHAT IS THIS THING?!”_ , he eventually shouted, poining at Sonic, who was just sitting next to them.

“Hey, I'm not a _thing_ , I'm a hedgehog! And my name is Sonic!”, protested the little guy, crossing his arms.

“Do you remember anything that happened in the last days, doctor?”, said Robotnik, worried.

Stone placed a hand on his head, and started thinking.

“I remember feeling dizzy... And everything was blurry... I remember hearing your voice, and being carried...”, he started.

“I was in a room. I was tied, I couldn't move. I remember being injected with something...”.

The agent was filling with rage. Just thinking about what they possibly did to doctor Stone made his blood boil. But deep inside, there was also regret.

Suddently, the doctor's expression shifted. He slowly looked at Robotnik in a pained and shocked expression.

Something surely came back to his mind.

“I remember now...”, he started. “They asked me questions. Things about something called _Project Shadow_ , about a government facility called _ARK_ , about... _Your family, Ivo”._

The agent looked back at Stone.

He slowly grabbed his arm and started pressing on it, feeling nervous.

He looked at the doctor, waiting for him to continue.

_Sonic looked back at them both, wishing for some popcorn to munch on._

“I wasn't given any details... They thought I knew what they where talking about, which obviously I didn't... All I know is something about that Project Shadow being cancelled, a shooting, and an omnious message left by your grandfather, who's that Gerald Robotnik we saw a book of. I believe more members of your family where related to these events, but... This is all I know”.

Ivo sitted back against the wall, hand over his mouth.

He looked as if he was thinking about something, while at the same time losing his mind.

Eventually he looked back up at Stone.

 _“Is that all?”_ , he asked him in a small voice, as if he was hurt.

“Actually... There's something more”, started the doctor.

Robotnik shifted quickly, looking deep into Stone's eyes.

“The government was keeping an eye on you because... _You're actually a genius”._

The agent was taken back.

_Him, a genius? That wasn't adding up._

The doctor noticed that in his expression, so he kept explaining.

“At first they where just taking care of you, since all that _ARK or whatever stuff_ happened when you where barely a newborn. However, when you grew up, they made you make some tests... Your IQ is way more higher than most people. Like, _WAY MORE”_ , he said, moving his arms up and down, trying to really let that point clear.

Ivo still wasn't convinced, so Stone kept going. “Basically, they where scared that you would follow your grandfather's steps, and actually do something about the omnious message. That's why they kept you away from everything”, he finished.

_“Wait, wait, hold on...”_ , the agent started, approaching doctor Stone. “But... I am _NOT_ a genius”, he started, looking confused.

“Dude, you _ARE_ a genius, are you kidding me?”, Sonic interrupted, standing up. “You created a functioning drone it less than two days with spare stuff and some books! _What do you mean you aren't a genius?”_

“You _WHAT?!”_ , Stone jumped from his seat. _“A drone?! In TWO days?! Like, an ACTUALLY FLYING DRONE?!”,_ he screamed while poining at Ivo.

“And it has a functioning camera!”, Sonic explained. "That's how we got into the facility to rescue you!"

Stone looked at the agent with starry eyes. He was _amazed._

_“I-It wasn't that big of a deal...”,_ Ivo replied, rubbing his hair.

_“YES IT IS?!”_ , both Stone and Sonic replied.

Robotnik looked away from them, his face getting slightly red.

After a bit of silence, Sonic started talking to both man.

“So... You're both probably in danger now, those scary guys with guns are probably looking for you now. Got any idea of what to do?”.

The silence turned tense.

“Nowhere is safe for us now. Being this close to the facility is dangerous, but if we move, we could get detected...”, Ivo started.

“We should get _your_ cat”, Stone replied.

“You guys have a cat?! I love cats!”, Sonic exclaimed.

“Thankfully I left enough food for him back home when we left, but still, I'm sure it's lonely back at my place...”, Stone told Ivo, looking a bit down.

“You said your house had a signal canceller, right? Maybe we could just go back there by the time being, before figuring what our next move should be...”, said Robotnik, getting up. “I could always try to make more and better drones to keep us safe”.

“That sounds like the coolest thing ever and I certainly support you on that”, answered Stone, also getting up.

Sonic looked up at them looking kinda sad. _“You guys are leaving, then?”_

“It's the best we can do for now”, Ivo answered, getting to the entrance of the cave, followed by Stone.

_“A-Alright... I'll... Be here if you guys need anything”,_ the hedgehod answered, looking down.

The doctor certainly noticed Sonic looking at them with puppy eyes.

He was the blue devil, after all, and probably had no contact with that much people before.

He certainly felt sorry for the guy.

“Wanna come live with us?”, Stone said, looking back at the hedgehod with a smile.

Sonic couldn't stop smiling. _“Really?!”_ , he cheered, runing around the cave.

“Just make sure to be good to Pebbles”, Robotnik told the blue blur as he joined them both.

_“Pebbles?”_ , Stone wondered.

“ _Our_ cat”, Ivo said, looking down. “I thought about it and... Well, I thought that would be a good name. What do you think?”

Stone just smiled back, holding on to Ivo as they started walking through the woods.

_“I think it's great”._


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue.

It has now been several months since Stone and Robotnik started living together.

They live a peaceful life, sometimes interrumped by the government trying to get to them. 

However, during this time, Ivo Robotnik became a clear expert in drones, creating some of the most advanced technology, just to keep them safe.

Stone decided to leave behind his investigations and start all new. He opened a little cafe in Green Hills, which became the best place to get coffee in the entire town. His speciality was on the sweet foam on top of every order.

At the back of the cafe there was an extra room, which served as a laboratory for Ivo. 

He created his robots _(Which Stone named “Badniks”)_ there.

The town was completely aware of the situation with them two and the government, and obviously decided to protect both man. 

Robotnik's drones became a common sight in town, specially near the Green Hills Police Department. Tom and Wade really appreciated the help of the little robots.

During low hours of work at the cafe, Stone would go inside Ivo's lab, just to look at him work. 

Those where some of the few moments he saw the man smile. 

He really was proud of his work.

Back at home, Sonic would spend the day looking out for government agents. 

Usually the drones took care of it, but the little guy watched too many action movies to just stay still when there was someone to fight and scare around. 

He also gave Pebbles some company. Running up and down the house while chasing cat toys was one of their favorite games.

Stone's basement now became Sonic's room. 

They brought home all of his things from the cave, and gave the blue guy enough space to run up and down. Sonic was simply happy to finally have some company. 

_ However he did get grounded from time to time for messing with Crazy Carl. _

Life was finally good...

_ Until now. _

Stone noticed for a few weeks how Ivo started to look at him oddly. 

There seemed to be something bothering him, as he wasn't getting as much work done, opting to rather help out Stone serving coffee. He stared back at Stone without noticing, and became a bit more clumsy around the man.

The sun was setting, and Stone could hear him sigh out in the small terrace in his house.

“Can I join?”, Stone said, setting a hand in Ivo's back.

“Of course”, he answered, still looking at the horizon.

They both stood there, in a calm silence.

Eventually, Stone pressed his hand over Ivo's shoulder, making him look up to his eyes. _“Is everything alright?”,_ Stone started. “It feels as if you're not doing great since some weeks now. You know you can tell me anything”.

The older man sighed. “I... I just don't know if this is something I should tell you, if I'm honest. It kind of _scares me_ how you would react...”

“I'm on a seach list by the government of this country because of you, and I'm the one that decided to stay by your side after all of that. Whatever it is, it probably won't be enough to tear appart what we have”, Stone replied, leaning against the railing.

“That is what I think about... What we have. Our... _Relationship”_ , said Ivo, nearly hiding in his arms.

Stone tenderly laughed. “What, you're gonna tell me now that you're in love with me?”.

There was a long pause. 

Ivo looked at Stone terrified, before hiding his face in his hand, and grunting against them.

_ Oh. _

Stone panicked, leaning against the other man. _“W-Wait, are you serious?!_ I-I'm sorry, I didn't thought you actually-...!”

_“_ _You didn't thought that I could love you?”_ , the man said, looking down the floor.

All Stone did was leaning more on to Ivo. “That's not it! _I-It's just...”._

There was a long silence. 

They both stayed there, Stone regretting everything, and Ivo holding on to the tears forming in his eyes.

Eventually, Stone stepped back. “What I actually meant... Is that I wasn't expecting _you..._ To love _me_ back”, he said, fidgetting with his fingers. There was a slight blush on his face.

Suddently, Robotnik got up, looking at Stone with teary eyes, in a shocked expression. His face was completely red.

“Y-You mean...”, he began, approaching the other man. “That you love _me?!”_ , he exclaimed, shocked. His words slightly resonated around them.

Stone stepped closer to him. “Of course I love you! Y-You are amazing!”, he said, grabbing Ivo's hands.

The older man looked confused. “But... _Why?”_ , he began, in a low voice. “You're now in danger because of _me_. You lost your job, the life you used to live, you-...”. Stone placed a finger in his lips, making him stop talking.

Stone stepped closer, until his forehead was against Ivo's. “I wouldn't change a thing. I see you as what you are, and I see the greatness in you. I admire you, and you bring so much joy into my life... I would never go back to the lonely life I used to live. _I love you”._ He leaned forward, kissing Ivo.

They both just stood there, tenderly kissing each other, enjoying the moment. 

They eventually parted, Stone holding Ivo's cheeks.

This was the first time the man smiled at him. 

And Stone thought it was beautiful.

_“_ _I love you so much, Stone...”,_ the older man said, placing a hand against Stone's jawline, slightly caressing his face.

“I love you, Ivo”, he said, looking deep into his eyes. _“I love the way you smile at me”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's the fic!   
> I tried my best to make an entertaining and tender story for you all, so I hope it delivered! Thank you so much for reading!   
> I would really appreciate if you took a moment to comment what you thought about it :D


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